Affliction
by Karmaricxx
Summary: Sequel to Heart & Cards. Everything has gone down hill. Callie's past has caught up with her, he present is tormenting her. How will she cope?
1. Chapter 1

_Blinding white light. My body screaming in agony. Things poking and prodding. Then everything turned dark._

"_Possible spinal injuries, compound fracture, internal bleeding-"_

_That voice sounded so foreign._

"_Callie, you're going to be alright. Just hang on-"_

_That one was familiar, but I could not put a face to it._

"_She needs surgery immediately-"_

"_Only a fifty percent chance-"_

_The voices faded to silence. It was peaceful._

Have you ever felt like your body was so heavy you could not move a finger, or you could not keep your eyes open for more than a second? That was how I felt when I became aware of myself. My whole body ached. However, it was nothing compared to the horrible feeling of something stuck in my throat. I tried desperately to cough it up, but it failed. I vaguely heard something like speech, but I ignored it; I just wanted whatever was in my throat out. After I few coughs, I felt the foreign object slowly make its way up my oesophagus and out my mouth. I let out a deep breath.

"It's okay, Cal. It's gone."

That voice. . . It was rough, but comforting.

I heard myself groan loudly before slowly opening my eyes. I had to shut them quickly though; the world past my eyelids was too bright. I felt so groggy. The same voice was talking to me, but I was not paying attention to what they were saying. What had happened? Why did I feel like that? There was a phone call, then screams . . . my screams. Sounds of crunching metal, then nothing.

"I know things haven't been the best between us," the familiar voice said. I could hear them clearly. It was a guy's voice. "And I know I haven't treated you right since . . . well, since we first met. I need you to wake up. I need you to pull through this. I need you to hear that I love you-"

My eyes shot open. I knew who was speaking to me. The moment I heard the words 'I love you' spoken with that voice, it was as if a switch flicked on in my brain. But, I did not want him near me. Not at that moment. Without moving my head, I looked beside me to see familiar piercing blue eyes and tousled brown hair that was normally quite neat. Seto looked at me in shock, but I could clearly see relief in his eyes.

"You need to leave," I said hoarsely. Seto opened his mouth to speak but I spoke over him after looking away. "Now." I knew if I looked at him any longer, I would have wanted him to stay. I tried to move my arm, but all I felt was immense pain. I moaned in pain and looked down. My arm was resting over my stomach in a sling.

"Don't try and move. You broke your arm," Seto ordered, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Where's Duke?" I asked, disregarding the fact I had asked Seto to leave.

"Outside with the others. They let me see you in private, with a fair bit of arguing," he smirked.

"I take it you won," I said, shaking my head slightly, well, I tried to. Something was preventing me from doing so. A neck brace? "What's wrong with me? What did I do to myself?"

Seto's eyes softened as he stroked my hair. "What do you remember?"

I thought about it for a moment. "I was on my way to the airport then you rang. I took my eyes off the road and didn't see the corner in time."

"You broke your arm and fractured a few ribs which punctured your lung and you fractured a disc in your neck. The doctor said you're lucky to be alive. If I didn't find you when I did . . ."

Seto found me? Did he go looking for me? I did not think he cared that much about me. "What were you doing out there?"

"Devlin rang me and said you took off while you were drunk," Seto sighed, looking away. He took a deep breath before placing his hand on mine, which was resting on my heart jumped. "I heard you crash, Cal. You could have died . . . I don't know what I would have done if-"

"Seto, why are you here with her?" an irritating voice said over Seto's.

Everything telling me I was injured flew out my head. What the hell was she doing there? Seto must have called her. I sat up and screamed, "GET THE FUCK OUT!" I immediately clutched my chest and cried out in pain. I fell back, which was a bad idea. My neck went into a series of spasms. I was in appeared at my side and shouted things all around me. I watched as Seto stood up and ran towards Torey and dragged her out the door. Duke pushed past them and ran to my bedside. He stroked my hair in an attempt to calm me down; I knew I was still crying out in agony. A nurse appeared beside Duke and said something to him while another nurse tightened an arm strap around my bicep. What were they going to do to me? I hoped it was drugs. Duke said something back to the nurse, who looked shocked. She then turned around and turned back a few seconds later with a needle. The other nurse held my arm firmly as the first one felt around my elbow joint. She found the spot she wanted and slowly pushed the needle into my arm. I felt fluid flow into my body. The spasms in my neck died down a little bit. I felt calm; the other muscles in my body world around me began to slow down. My body did not hurt anymore. I relaxed into my bed and closed my eyes.

~Seto's POV~

The moment I heard Torey's voice behind me, I knew something bad was going to happen. I watched at Callie sat up and glared at Torey. How was she not in pain?

"GET THE FUCK OUT!" Callie screamed, scaring me.

I jumped as Callie cried out in pain and clutched her chest. I had to get rid of Torey, but I did not want to leave Callie's side. Nurses rushed into the room as I opened my mouth to call out for them. I got up and made for Torey, who looked shocked. I gripped her arm before Duke shoved past me, but not before shooting a death glare my way. I dragged Torey out the door and down the corridor. The Geek Squad ran after us, demanding to know why Torey was there. I told her to keep walking before rounding on them. Wheeler was in front.

"You lot realise you're in a hospital, right?" I asked them coldly.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Wheeler demanded.

I ignored his question and just looked at him for a moment. He had said something to Callie the night before, and by the way he was carrying on when I was on the phone to Devlin, it must have been bad. I stepped forward and grabbed Wheeler by the front of his shirt. The Dweebs complained but I ignored them.

"What did you say to her last night?" I snarled in a low voice.

"Get your hands off me, Kaiba," Wheeler snapped, pushing my hand away from him. "It's none of your business."

"You were the last one to see her last night so you must have said something to make her get in the car!" I growled.

"Why do you care?" Téa piped up suddenly. She stepped in front of Wheeler and thrust her finger into my chest. "You have had no regard for Callie's wellbeing for ages. Why the sudden concern? Do you feel guilty knowing you're likely part of the reason she's in this condition?"

I had enough. My reasons for caring about Callie were none of their business. I turned away from them. I would have to find out what Wheeler said to Callie later. "It's none of your business."

"Callie's been given a dose of morphine," Devlin's voice said from beside me. I turned around only to find Devlin right near me. "And I don't want you anywhere near her; you've caused her enough pain."

I snorted. Did he really think I would listen to anything he said? Of course I was going to see Callie, but not at that moment. "Don't tell me what to do, Devlin."

"Kaiba, just go," Yugi said tiredly. "Your girlfriend's waiting down the hall."

Before turning away yet again, I glared at them all. I quickly approached Torey who was sitting down near the pathology section of the hospital. She smiled at me when she saw me.

"That took a while," she commented, standing up.

I wanted her away from me. Far away. So, I told her.

"When these tests are done, I don't want you to contact me at all until the results come back. Do you hear me?" I muttered close to her face. She looked at me in shock. She wanted a reason why, but I did not give her one. "Let's get this over with."

Half an hour later, I walked out of Pathology while massaging my elbow joint. Torey followed me out and I rounded on her. "How long do I have to wait?"

She looked at the ground. Something happened. Maybe I did not have to wait for the results. Maybe she found out the baby was not mine. "They can't get DNA from the baby."

What did she mean they could not get DNA from the baby? It was a simple procedure. I needed to know if I was the father so I could determine what my next move was.

"I have to wait another four weeks; the embryo is too small to collect DNA from. Sorry, Seto," Torey explained.

"Four weeks?!" I shouted. "So they've taken my blood but nothing can be done for a month?"

Torey nodded. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. Great; four more weeks of that nonsense running through my head. There was no way I was going to be able to work; not with that and Callie's situation looming over me. But, at least I could get rid of Torey. It was probably the wrong thing to do, but, I did not need her reminding me of the mess I had gotten myself into.

"Okay. This is the last time we will see each other until the test is done and the results are in," I stated coldly. Torey looked at me and opened her mouth to speak but I continued. "I will contact you in four weeks to make sure you have had the procedure done."

"I thought you loved me," Torey murmured.

She did? I stared at her. Not once did I say that I loved her. I shook my head before saying "Well, you thought wrong." I walked away before Torey could say anything. I should have told her that I used her to gain information. Maybe then she would drop the whole baby plot. I had a suspicion that she had just said she had to wait four weeks because there was no baby to get DNA from. Seemed logical. I bet she was hoping I would forget about it. Ha; not likely.

I walked down the hallway towards Callie's room, hoping I could see her without Devlin and the rest of them knowing. My plans were ruined however, when I saw a bed with Callie on it being wheeled back into her room. Devlin followed. The others were sitting outside the room with worried looks. Did she have tests done? Why did the Dweebs look so nervous? As much as I did not want to, I make my way over to them.

"What's going on?"

They all looked up at me and Yugi was the first to respond. "Callie's-"

"Fine," Wheeler finished angrily while glaring at me. "Callie's fine. Just go away, Kaiba."

He was really starting to get on my nerves, but I had to remain calm; I did not need to get into a fist fight and get kicked out of the hospital without seeing Callie. "Whether you like it or not, Wheeler, I care about Callie," I snapped before pushing the door to Callie's room open.

I was met with a sight that I wish I had never seen. Various machines surrounded Callie's bed; even more than before. Callie looked so pale. I had only seen her half an hour beforehand; how could she have deteriorated so much? Devlin had his back to me, facing Callie while nurses worked around him. I knew as soon as he saw me, he would have me thrown out, but I had to know what was going on.

"Devlin," I said quietly. He spun around and glared at me. "I don't want to argue with you-" _Where did that come from?_"-I just want to know what's going on?"

Devlin stared at me for a few seconds. The look on his face said it all; he wanted me out. However, I stayed. He sighed before looking at the floor. "Do you really care that much about her?" he asked without looking at me. How was I supposed to answer that without sounding like one of them?

"Just tell me what's wrong with her," I said quietly.

"When they gave her the morphine to ease her pain, I dunno, she just drifted off. I didn't take much notice, that's why I was out in the hall before you went with your girlfriend."

I opened my mouth to snap at Devlin about referring to Torey as my girlfriend, but he continued."When I came back in here, the nurses were getting ready to rush her out. It took me a while to actually get some answers. Her heart rate slowed right down, I mean, she nearly-" Devlin stopped and took a shaky breath. She nearly . . . died? "They did what they had to, and then took her straight in to get some scans done. She has more internal bleeding than they first has major swelling at the base of her brain."

"Swelling? Why didn't they pick up on it before? And, she was talking to me fine while I was in here," I said while trying not to panic. How incompetent could the doctors in that joint get?

"I don't know. I ripped it into them too. Apparently the swelling around the base of her skull controls her conscious state, so maybe it wasn't as bad when you were in here. They're about to take her to do more tests."

We both looked at Callie. She nearly died. If she had, I would have never been able to hear her voice again. But, she was not out of the woods yet. I had to wonder why Duke was being nice to me; I assumed he knew about everything that had gone on between Callie and me and yet, he told me what was going on.

"Callie woke up when you told her you love her," Devlin murmured, startling me. How did he know that? "I was just outside the door when I heard her speak after you said it. As much as I don't want to believe it, you and Callie have some sort of connection that me, Joey or anyone else can't even compare to. Yugi and Téa told me Callie was an absolute wreck after she found out you had been sleeping around; she may not have shown it but they could see it in her eyes."

I knew how much it had hurt her. The cuts I saw on her arm gave me a clear indication that she was not coping with everything. It made me wonder if she had done something else. I had to make things right, but I had no idea how.

"Does Mokuba know about Callie?" Devlin asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"I don't want him to worry," I answered. I still had no idea why Devlin and I were actually taking to each other about Callie. I did not want any of them to know how the situation was affecting me.

The nurses that were tending to Callie began to move Callie's bed towards me and Devlin so we moved out of the way. I reached out and brushed my fingers along Callie's arm as she was wheeled past me. Maybe it was time to call Mokuba. He did have a right to know what had happened and I did not want him to hate me anymore. I walked out of the room only to be greeted by Wheeler yelling at me. I brushed past him and walked down the hallway a bit. Devlin's voice echoed throughout the corridor as he told Wheeler to shut up; I had to snigger. After I pulled my phone out, I paused for a moment. How was I going to tell Mokuba? I dialled Mokuba's number and waited.

"Big brother?" Mokuba's voice greeted when he answered.

"Mokuba, I need you to come to the hospital. Something's happened," I said quietly. _Telling him to come to the hospital might give me some time to figure out how to tell him._

"Why? Are you okay?" Mokuba asked frantically.

"I'll explain when you get here."


	2. Chapter 2

I stood beside the shoreline, admiring the view before me. The sun was setting, causing a magnificent orange glow to radiate around me. It was so beautiful, so peaceful. Nothing could have ruined that moment. My feet sunk into the soft sand and I curled my toes, enjoying the feeling of sand between them.

A familiar voice called my name. I looked around and my eyes fell on him. The man who made my heart flutter. The man who had caused me so much pain. Those two statements contradicted each other, but then, my heart never had a good track record for loving what was good for it. The man who made me weak at the knees was standing there in a black suit with a crisp white collared shirt under it and a blue tie completed the attire. His hair was moving in the soft ocean breeze. His eyes focused on me; the blue eyes I could never get out of my mind.

Seto approached me; his walk looked a bit unsteady. Probably because of the sand, I assumed. I had no idea why he called out my name. Did he not have a girlfriend to attend to? One who was carrying his baby, no less? I gulped nervously. My heart pounded against my chest cavity as Seto stopped in front of me. His eyes held so many emotions; I could not tell which one was the dominant one was.

"Caledonia," Seto murmured as he grabbed my hands gently. My heart jumped into my throat. He had not used my full name in so long. "You have made me so happy. I can never get you out of my head. I am truly sorry for what I've done to you. Torey means nothing to me, you have to believe me."

Where was he going with all this? If Torey meant nothing to him, why was she always there trying her best to make my life hell? Why was he always running back to her?

"I love you so much Cal," he continued before getting down on one knee. Was he serious? Where was it all coming from? He pulled out a little velvet box and held it out in front of him, but, did not open it. "Will you wake up?"

_Huh? Wake up?_

"Please? There's so much I need to tell you. Wake up. . ."

"What are you talking about, Seto?" I asked frantically. I was so lost.

Seto rested his forehead on my hands. "Wake up, baby. . ."

I awoke with a jolt only to feel the highly uncomfortable sensation of something choking me. There was something down my throat again. While trying to stop myself from choking to death, Seto's head shot up from beside me and he began calling for help. Nurses rushed in and carefully pulled out whatever it was. A feeding tube? Was that down my throat before as well? Was I in that bad of shape? I slumped back into the bed and welcomed the copious amounts of air I was gulping down. I paid no attention to Seto and thought about that dream or whatever it was.

_Was Seto actually talking to me? In my dream thingy, was he going to propose? _I closed my eyes and sighed. _Of course not. Don't be stupid, Callie. Seto has Torey. _Did that mean I wanted him to propose to me? We had only known each other for a few months. And, again, he had Torey.

"Callie," Seto said worriedly from beside me.

I looked towards him, which was still a hassle as I still had that bloody neck brace around my neck. Why was he in my room, again? Torey had barged in and sent me skitz. I remembered that much. I was about ready to come to conclusion that Seto just liked to screw around with my head. Besides, I had told him I was done with all his games. I remembered that conversation vividly, which was funny, considering I was drunk. I had heard so many stories of people not remembering anything when they were drunk.

As I looked at Seto, I just wanted to cry, but I could not. "Why are you here?"

"Why wouldn't I be here, Cal? I need to make sure you're alright."

I gave him a hard look. I was over the shit. "Get out," I said flatly as I looked away.

Seto touched my injured arm and I shrugged him off before wincing in pain. "Callie, will you hear me out, please?" he pleaded.

"No. Get out now. Go care about the slut you got pregnant and get out of my sight," I snapped as I glared at him. Tears began to well up in my eyes and I tried desperately to blink them away. _Wow, I really do sound like a victim. . . _I thought hysterically as Joey's words filled my head.

A knock at the door startled both Seto and me. Seto's look hardened as he stood up and walked towards the door. As he walked away, I noticed his hand was bandaged up. I prayed he had not punched Joey or Duke, for whatever reason. He roughly pulled it open and walked out without a word. His presence was replaced by Duke's. I gazed at his face; no marks, no black eye. Seto did not hit him. Duke's dull eyes fell on my own and immediately the life came back to him as he rushed towards me. The moment he reached the side of my bed he began fussing over me.

"Duke, calm down," I said quietly as he began kissing various parts of my face.

Duke straightened up before he glared at me. "Don't you dare scare me like that again! What the fuck were you thinking?" he shouted exasperatedly. He collapsed into the chair beside my bed and ran his fingers through his bangs.

I racked my brain for answers to his questions. "I- I thought it was best if I left," I confessed as flashbacks began playing in my head. The newspaper, the party, the phone call, the argument and taking off in Duke's car. I remembered Seto telling me I had been in a car crash.

_Does that mean I destroyed Duke's car?_

"Duke, I pulverised your car, didn't I?" I asked as my throat caught.

"Don't worry about that, Cal," Duke said reassuringly, stoking my hair.

That answered my question. How could I have been such an idiot? That was the ultimate act of stupidity. I should never have gotten into the car in the first place, especially considering I was drunk. "I'm so sorry. . ."

Tears erupted from my eyes and did not stop. Duke immediatly placed his hand over mine, and tried to console me, but, his attempts failed. There was no way I was going to forgive myself for the whole situation. The situation I had put myself in.

"What possessed you to get in the car in the first place?" Duke asked as he continued stroking my hair.

"Joey had made it clear he didn't want to be near me," I responded with hitched breath as I tried to slow down the flow of my tears. "And, I had to get my stuff from his."

"What did he say?"

I hesitated. Was it a smart idea to tell Duke what Joey had said to me? But, then, Duke would have found out eventually. "Nothing important." I could not tell him.

"Cal," Duke said shortly," you know I'll find out eventually. Please tell me?"

If I told him, that would just be me seeking attention. I think I accomplished that by crashing Duke's car. Two of the most important people in my life were at the hospital with me; I doubted the gang were there. Maybe Duke would just let it go if I told him, and not confront Joey about it.

"I love being the victim and I'm an attention seeking whore. . ." I said it so quietly, I was not sure Duke heard me.

"WHAT?!"

_Oh, I guess he heard me._

Duke had shot to his feet, knocking the chair over in the process. He muttered some abusive words before turning and stomping towards the door. My heart began to race. He was pissed. I knew Duke better than anyone; he was going to find Joey. I had to stop it, but I did not know how. I called out to him loudly as he reached the door.

"Sit the fuck back down!" I shouted loudly, causing Duke to stop in his tracks. "Just leave it. I have enough shit going through my head without you and Joey getting into a punch-up."

Duke turned around and looked at me. He sighed in defeat and trudged back to my bedside. He fixed the chair and sat down. "Bloody hell, Cal. You can be a demanding bitch when you wanna be," he joked.

"Would you have listened to me if I had asked you nicely to not go after Joey?" I asked as I tried to move my head. "I want this thing off."

"I can go get a –" Duke began but was cut off by his phone ringing. Pulling his phone out, he held up a finger, signalling me to wait a moment. "Hello? . . . Yes it is. . . Oh. . ."

Duke's face suddenly lost all colour and his features hardened. _I wonder who he's talking to. _

"I'm sorry but she made it clear she did not want to hear from you at all. . . Yeah, but what does that have to do with him? . . . Well control it . . . Really? How do you know she won't go back? What will you do then? . . . I suppose it'll have to do. Thanks for letting me know. Bye."

"Who was that?" I asked as Duke shoved his phone back in his pocket.

"Oh, um, just stuff to do with work." He seemed hesitant.

_Strange. . ._

"Over in America? What do you do?" I asked curiously.

Duke looked at his lap for a moment before looking up at me, his eyes gleaming. "I bought a new game shop. Dungeon Dice Monsters has really taken off over there."

He was so happy. He was making a name for himself around the world. I was so proud of him. However, I tried to link the phone call to Duke's type of work, but found it hard to make a connection. It was none of my business anyway, so I let it go.

"I'm proud of you, Duke," I said, fondly, as I smiled up at him.

"Thanks, Cal. I'll go get a doctor." He stood up and kissed my forehead. He walked out of the room and left me to my thoughts. Although, I did not get to dwell on them much because there was a knock at the door.

_That was quick_, I pondered, thinking it was Duke.

However, it was not Duke.

_Oh, shit._


	3. Chapter 3

"Miss Andersen?"

Two very sour looking Police officers were standing in the doorway. I was pretty sure the colour drained from my face as I watched them make their way to my bedside. They took their hats off and I took in their appearances. One was a burly looking bloke with flaming red hair and a bit of stubble. The other was tall and lanky with black hair. They both had brown eyes. It actually looked quite funny seeing them standing next to each other, but that was not the time to be laughing. I knew why there were there.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions about the car accident you were involved in a few days ago," Lanky said sternly. "Can you tell us what happened?"

I gulped nervously. "I was on my way out to the airport-"

"The airport?" Burly interjected. "Why would you be going to the airport so late?"

"I dunno. At the time I wasn't thinking clearly. I wanted to go back to Australia. Then it started raining and my phone rang. I answered it, talked for a bit, and then I looked away from the road for a second. . . I only just saw the bend. I put the brakes on and lost control. . ."

"You're aware that it's against the law to use a mobile phone while driving?" Burly asked.

"As I said; I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Who was on the phone?" Lanky questioned.

"Is that important?"

"Just answer the question," Burly shot at me.

Cranky bastard. "Seto Kaiba."

I watched as Lanky wrote every single word I was saying. It was really annoying. I just wanted them to go away. I had enough shit on my mind. Burly was looking at me as though he was about to strangle me. What the fuck was up his ass?

"Were you drinking before you got behind the wheel?" Burly asked.

Oh, no. I did not know what to say. Did I tell them or not?

"I must warn you it is a felony to lie to the Police."

"I was at a party. I thought I was sober enough to drive." I was not lying; I just kept a few things out.

"According to blood tests that were administered when you were brought in; you had alcohol in your system. There was enough to impede your motor skills. Also, there is no record of you possessing a Japanese motor license."

I was not prepared for what happened next. Burly pulled out a pair of handcuff from his belt and unhooked them. He walked around to the other side of my bed and grabbed my good arm. "Caledonia Andersen, you are under arrest for driving under the influence, negligent driving and driving without a license," he announced officially as he clipped one handcuff to my wrist and the other to the side of the bed. "There will be two officers positioned outside the door at all times. Only nurses and doctors will be able to enter the room. Do you understand?"

I nodded, dumbfounded. I was going to be charged. Fucking dickhead! I mentally cursed as I watched the Police put their hats back on and walk out the door. I had really screwed up. I help up my wrist and sighed at the handcuffs. Was it really necessary for him to cuff me? I could not move; I had a neck brace on and I was not game enough to sit up.

The door opened yet again and I sighed angrily. Oh, fuck it. Go away.

Looking towards the door again, I had to smile when I saw a brunette nurse smile over at me from the small basing that was in the room. Duke must have sent her in. She finished washing her hands and walked over to me while putting on gloves.

"The doctor will be in shortly, love. I just want to make sure everything is normal before she arrives. Is that okay?" she explained kindly, grabbing the clipboard hanging over the end of my bed.

"Yeah, I just want this thing off," I said, motioning towards my neck.

The nurse smiled. "It won't come off today. You'll need to go in for a few x-rays to see how your ribs and neck are going." She lifted up the sheet around my feet and folded it back to my knees. She must have noticed the cuffs because she said, "Was it necessary for them to cuff you?"

"Oh, don't worry; I was thinking the same thing. It's not like I'm going to up and run. I can't even talk to my friends. . ."

The nurse looked at me sympathetically. I was sure she did not know what to say. She looked at my feet before saying, "Now, I need you to close your eyes for me."

I did as I was told. A few seconds later I felt a sharp prick on my big toe. My foot twitched as I let out an annoyed 'ouch'. The pricks continued along my toes on each foot, and each resulted in me giving some form of response.

"Very good, darl," the nurse said quietly once the tests on my toes were completed. I opened my eyes. "I'll just go and see what's keeping the doctor. I won't be long."

She pulled off her gloves and tossed them in a bin by the door to the room and walked out. I sighed. The nurse must have been testing to see if I had any nerve damage when she was poking my toes. My reactions must have been a good sign. Hopefully I did not do any major damage to myself. Hopefully I could get up and walk out in a few days. I moved my wrist and the clank of the cuffs brought my happiness to a standstill. I was under arrest. I knew I was going to be charged and possibly thrown in jail. My life must have been a sap story for the gang. How they put up with me was a mystery.

I was trying my hardest to stop my thoughts from drifting to Seto, and it was working to an extent, until I thought about Torey and the pregnancy. I did not even know why I was worrying about it; it was not like I was still with Seto. My feelings for him were still there though, and they were not going to fade any time soon. Maybe that was why I was so upset about it. I loved him but he had commitments to someone else, and not to mention he lied to me, cheated on me and basically broke me into little pieces. I just wanted it all to stop.

The door to my room opened and the nurse from before entered with a doctor who was greying slightly. She had bright blue eyes. They washed their hands and put on gloves before standing at the foot of my bed.

"Hello Caledonia," the doctor said kindly, grabbing the clipboard from the bed. "I'm Doctor Hitali, how are you feeling?"

I just shrugged before hissing in pain. That hurt. I wanted to get out of there.

"Are you okay with me performing the necessary tests to see how you are progressing?"

I nodded slightly.

"Very good."

The doctor and nurse did various tests involving prodding my fingers and other parts of my body to ensure I had no nerve damage. I passed that with flying colours. Then, they tried to get me to sit up. That was a pain, pun intended. I let out a cry as they slowly pulled me into a sitting position. Every inch of my body screamed in agony, like I was being ripped apart. The nurse and doctor finally had me in a sitting position, but I was still in pain. I breathed heavily as I sat there and waited for the pain to subside. The doctor was watching my body movements.

"Where is the pain?" she asked.

"Everywhere," I stated through a wince.

"Is it starting to go away?"

I sat there for a moment and focused on my pain. It was dying down a little bit. Maybe it was just my muscles. "Yeah, except my arm and chest."

"Okay, we need to get you in to get some x-rays done. Just to see how your neck and chest are going. I'll be back in a minute to take you to the room. Your arm will need to be plastered for a few weeks."

I smiled and thanked her. She walked out and left the nurse in the room with me. The nurse observed me before walking beside my bed. "Would you like some help laying back?"

Realising I was still sitting up, I nodded. The nurse put one hand between my shoulder blades and the other on my opposite shoulder. The pain was not as bad as it was when they first sat me up, but it was still bad. I hissed loudly as the nurse tried her best to gently lay me back on the bed. She apologised before making sure I was comfortable. I could hear voices outside the door and I wondered who was out there. I wondered when I would be able to get out of there.

"Excuse me?" I asked the nurse as she began unhooking the various machines attached to me. She looked at me, signalling she heard me. "When will I be able to leave?"

The nurse gave me a sad look. "I'm sorry, hun. But you won't be leaving for a while. The doctors noticed the self harm cuts on your arm when you were brought in; when your x-rays have been looked at, you'll be transferred to the mental health ward."


	4. Chapter 4

You know when you have those moments where you just sit there and think about all the things that lead you to that precise moment in time? I had a lot of those. It had been 4 days since I was transferred to the mental health ward at the hospital, and all I wanted was to get out. I still did not understand why I was in there; I had only cut myself. No one had said anything, and I did not want to ask.

When the nurse first took me out of my room in intensive care, I was bombarded by the gang, including Joey. That shocked me. He looked so happy but he did not get to say anything to me. He reached out and brushed my hand with the tips of his fingers. It sent shivers down my spine. Duke tried to get the nurse to explain what was happening but she told him to wait. As I was being pushed down the hallway, I heard Duke shout something out to me but I could not make it out. I had not seen any of them since I was brought to the mental health unit.

The police disappeared not long after I was admitted. Maybe they knew I was being kept in a locked ward. They uncuffed me when I had my x-rays done, then re-cuffed me until I was in my new room. I was glad to see them go but I wondered if they were standing around outside the ward door, waiting.

The doctor started me on rehab a couple of hours after I was uncuffed. Of course, I had to do it within the ward. I did not mind though; I had become quite comfortable with my surroundings. I was the only patient in the ward. They even let me wear normal clothes, except a bra. Apparently, I could use the wire in it to cut myself. Seriously, I was not that smart to even think of that.

It took an hour for my legs to stop giving out as soon as I put my weight on them, causing me to fall back onto the bed. The doctor and nurse were very supportive. They did not push me to do everything in one go. Because my arm was still in a sling, the nurse still had to support me on my left side. They let me take the neck brace off the day after I was admitted to the ward and I tell you what, it felt so good to feel air on my neck. It hurt when I moved it too much, but I was nothing I could not handle.

In the four days I had been in that ward, I had managed to build up enough strength in my legs to walk around briefly by myself, although I was a bit slow. The doctor said I was well enough to be discharged, if the psychologist said so. Yep, I had to talk to a shrink. And even then, if I was able to get out, I would just end up in cuffs again.

"Callie?"

The nurse that had been helping me since I was in intensive care stood in the open doorway of my room with a small smile on her face.

"Hmm?"

"She's ready for you. Would you like any help?"

"No," I sighed as I sat myself up slowly, trying not to aggravate my back or neck. "I'm right. Just give me a sec." Slowly, I swung my legs off the bed and pushed myself to my feet. The nurse watched my every move. Using the wall as support, I slowly walked over to the doorway. It hurt my back a little bit, but the doctor said that pain would be there for a little while.

There was a sort of common room in the mental health ward. A large three seater lounge was in the middle of the room facing the eastern wall, with an LCD TV mounted on it. The toilet and bathroom were on the same wall. There was a large window on the western wall that allowed the mental health workers in the office to watch the patients go about their activities. The northern wall was just glass with a door that led to a little courtyard.

An older looking lady with brown hair pulled back into a bun sat on the far side of the lounge. She had been looking through papers on her lap but looked up when she heard my slow footsteps approaching. She stood up and greeted me with a handshake.

"Hi, Caledonia," she said warmly.

"Callie, please," I insisted as I returned her smile.

Dull pain surfaced in my back as I sat down on the other end of the lounge while the psychologist returned to her spot. She looked over my shoulder and nodded. I heard footsteps moving away, then a door opening and closing with a soft thud.

"So, Callie," she began as she looked at me, "my name's Donna, I assume you know why I'm here?"

"To see if I'm loopy or not?" I offered before chuckling to myself.

"Not necessarily. I'm here to understand why you have done the things you've done to cause yourself harm," Donna answered, looking back down at her papers. "You know why you've been admitted to this ward, right?"

"Because I cut? I honestly didn't think they would bother with such petty doings."

"So youdidn't crash the car you were in on purpose?"

_What? _"Who said I crashed the car on purpose?!" I inquired, astonished. That was why I was admitted? They thought I wanted to kill myself?

"Your doctor was informed that you had been quite depressed over the last month or so; that was why you had been cutting," Donna explained calmly. She began to say something else, but I cut her off.

"The cuts I have were well over two weeks old when the car crashed; I was fine."

"So nothing happened before the crash? No arguments?" she probed.

*Flashback*

"You're playing a game of hearts and cards, Seto Kaiba, and I'm done being a part of it."

"You're just an attention-seeking whore-"

*End Flashback*

"Who said I crashed on purpose?" I asked again.

Donna looked down at her papers again. "Joseph Wheeler. He didn't actually say you crashed on purpose; your doctor was told you had been depressed, you had been cutting and you took off after he said some things to you. Joseph said you might not have been thinking clearly."

I knew Joey meant well, but I was going to kill him when I got out.

"I was on the phone, I didn't see the bend and when I put the brakes on, the tyres slipped. I wanted to leave the country, not die," I said slowly.

"Where were you trying to go? On Christmas?"

"Australia," I responded quietly. I really did not want to get into details with Donna, but I did not think she was going to let me go unless I opened up.

"You're from Australia, right?" Donna asked. I nodded. "You applied for a long term Visa for here in Japan. Is there a particular reason why?"

I looked away from Donna and gazed at my feet. "I needed to get away from everything back home... My best friend lives here, well, he did, so I came over..."

"What things were happening in Australia that you felt the need to travel over here?"

I bit my lip. I did not think I was ready to open up about everything that happened. But, I had to. Talking about those things always helps, right?

"My mum died... And it was my fault..."

*Flashback*

I had just passed my Provisional license test and was eager to drive out to my riding lesson. My riding instructor was also a very good friend of mine. My mum had been quite reluctant to let me drive her car by myself; it was only a few months old.

My eagerness had been shot down however when mum came down the stairs and told me she had to take the car and to cancel my lesson. We had a big argument and I had convinced her to take me out before she went to do what she had to.

"You owe me for this, Callie," mum said irritably as she turned onto the highway that would take us out of town.

She was a very beautiful woman with shoulder length dark brown hair and big brown eyes. Her body was perfectly proportionate. She was only 22 when she adopted me. The agency had let her adopt me without being partnered because she could not have children. And she knew someone within the service. Like they say, it's not what you know, it's who you know. I had always wondered why she never had a long term boyfriend. In the end, I asked her. Her response made me want to hit every guy she had ever seen: "They didn't like the fact I couldn't have kids of my own and that I had adopted you. And they're all jerks."

"It's only just outside of town," I snapped.

"I have to go to the other side of town. You're making me late. Why couldn't you just ask Kaden to move it to tomorrow?"

"He's going away for a few days, mum," I told her. "I won't be able to see him for his birthday. What's so important, anyway?"

Mum's speed increased as she made the bend. She was not going over the limit, but I could tell she was annoyed; the way she changed gears said it all. That was mum's way of venting, to go for a drive somewhere. She had been on edge for a number of days and she disappeared for hours at a time. Something big must have been on her mind. I wanted to ask, but I knew I would have my head ripped off.

"I'm meeting Viola Rodriguez, she owns Chrome Industries," mum said quietly as Kaden's place came into view.

"Why are you meeting her?"

I never got an answer. Mum swore loudly as she slammed on the brakes and swerved. I caught a glimpse of a white sedan heading towards us before slamming into the front right hand side of the car, mum's side. I could hear the crunching metal, the screeching wheels, mum's horrified screams. The car spun, as if in slow motion then jolted to a stop with a loud crash. I was thrown forward in my seat causing me to collide with the airbag as it was released. I heard a crack before my head was flung back into the headrest, and then there was silence.

I laid there in a daze, my nose throbbing, trying to figure out what had happen. The air bag in front of me was slowly deflating which allowed me to view my surroundings. The whole front end was crushed in by a large telegraph pole. Mum's brand new car was totalled. The windscreen has been shattered, but it still remained attached to the car. I felt something wet running down my cheek so I reached up and felt my face, causing my arm to scream in agony. I winced as I drew my fingers back. They were covered in blood. I whimpered and looked down at my lap. There was glass covering me so I looked to the passenger window, groaning in the process. It was still in place, although there were some major cracks in it. Maybe it came from mum's window.

_Mum!_

I looked towards the driver's seat and screamed, "MUM!"

I tried desperately to sit myself up properly as I stared at my mum in horror, but pain erupted all over my body. I looked down and saw my legs were pinned by the dash board. My arms were aching and my back was screaming in agony. Looking at mum again, I began calling for her.

The driver side door had been pushed in and was pushing against mum's side, causing her body to bend out of shape. Blood was pouring out of a thick, nasty gash along her forehead. The steering wheel had pinned her to the seat. I could see that it was crushing her stomach. She was not responding to my pleas. There was a thin line of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

I began calling for help. It hurt deep in my chest every time I made a noise, but I did not care. I had to get mum help. I grabbed her lifeless hand and squeezed it tightly. "It's okay, mum. Everything will be okay. Someone will come." I kept repeating similar things to my mother's unconscious body while calling for someone, anyone, to help us.

"Amelia! Callie!"

My ears perked up at the sound of the familiar voice calling out to us. I called out in response. "Kaden! Help!"

A moment later, Kaden appeared at mum's door. He was a tall man of 20 with short black hair and dark eyes. He was wearing a black trench coat with a brown top and black pants. I was so glad to see him. He saw mum and tried desperately to pull the door open, but it was no use.

"Can you get out?" Kaden asked me, but then realised my legs had been pinned. "Hang on, I'll call for help. Try and wake your mother up." He pulled out his phone dialled some numbers and held it to his ear. He was shaking.

I did as I was told and tried to wake mum. I lifted an aching arm and shook mum gently. It was all I could accomplish; I had no strength. "Mum, please wake up," I pleaded as tears burnt my eyes. _Please mum, don't leave me. _

The tears fell from my eyes and I could not stop them. My legs were starting to feel numb, the pain in my back was becoming worse, my arms felt heavy. I stopped shaking mum as Kaden appeared at mum's window again. He told me help would be there soon and then proceeded to try and wake mum. I did not think he knew what else to do. What could he do? There was no way to get either of us out.

I suddenly remembered the car that had hit us. "Kaden, is there another car?"

He looked at me in confusion before a look of realisation crossed his face. He looked to the side. "Yeah, there's a car across the road, but the driver must have done a runner. The driver door is open. Here come the ambos."

"What if they're hurt too? They need to find them," I panicked.

"Don't worry about them, Callie," Kaden urged. "Can you wiggle your toes?"

I cringe as the muscles in my legs tense up, but I managed to move my toes. "I can move them," I sighed as I heard hurried voices around us.

I did not know how long I sat in that car, staring at mum while paramedics, the SES (State Emergency Service) crew and Kaden worked desperately to get both of us out. They had to use the Jaws of Life to pry open mum's door and even then, they faced the problem of how to get her out. They managed to unpin my legs and get me out. The chucked me on a gurney and put me in an ambulance. I begged them to get mum out of the car and kept asking them if she was going to be okay. They told me I needed to stay still but I lifted my head to see what was going on. The last thing I saw before they closed the ambulance doors was the paramedics placing mum's limp body on a gurney.

After I was admitted into hospital, I became a very difficult patient. I would not stop demanding that they tell me how mum was. I refused to do any tests, I would not let them touch m without a fight. In the end they had to sedate me, so when I awoke, I was rather drowsy. It took a moment for me to realise where I was and what had happened. My body was aching slightly, but I was able to sit up. Ripping the IV out of my hand, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and hoisted myself up, only to fall in a heap on the floor. My legs were so weak, the muscles in my legs were having spasms. A nurse ran in a few seconds later and helped me back up. I placed my hand on the bed for support while the nurse had me around the waist. She went to assist me back into bed, but I told her I wanted to know if mum was alright and if I could see her.

The nurse gave me a solemn look. "Your mother's in a critical condition, Caledonia. I can take you to see her, but she might not be awake. You should have waited to get out of bed."

"Let's go," I ordered as I took my hand off the bed. I pulled her arm away from me in an attempt to stand by myself. It worked, but my knees still felt like they could give out at any moment.

I followed the nurse out the door of my room and down the corridor. It was a very slow walk, and she did not even put the IV back in my hand so I did not have the stand to support myself as I walked, but the nurse kept an eye on me. All I could think about the whole time was mum.

The nurse stopped in front of a closed door and looked back at me before slowly opening it. "I must warn you," she said quietly, "this may shock you."

"Just let me see my mum..."

She nodded and moved out of the way so I could walk in. I did not even need to step through the door to see what was in there.

Mum lay there with various machines hooked up to her, the heart monitor beeping slowly. She turned her head, and smiled; she was awake. "Callie..."

I hobbled over to her bed as fast as I could without falling over. She looked so pale, a bandage was wrapped tightly around her head. When she had said my name, her voice was so strained. Standing there beside her bed, I felt so pathetic. I could not help her. I felt tears stinging my eyes, but I tried to hold them back. I had to be strong.

"Mum..." I whispered as I felt a lone tear roll down my cheek.

Mum moved her hand swiftly and grabbed my own, startling me. She held on to it tightly, her eyes were glassy. "I'm sorry... I didn't get you to... your lesson..." said murmured in a raspy voice. It looked like it hurt her to talk.

"What? Don't be silly, mum. Kaden saved us... he called the ambos..." I reassured her as I placed my other hand over hers. "Don't try to talk... just get some rest. You'll be okay..."

Mum shook her head quickly, and winced. "No, Cal. Listen to me, I don't think..." She swallowed hard. "I'm so glad I got to have you as a daughter, my baby..."

My throat started hurting. Why was she talking like this? More tears fell from my eyes, which were aching. "Why are you being like this, mum?" I said, but it came out like a little squeal.

"It's okay... Don't cry... I love you so much, Cal... Don't ever forget that..." Mum's eyes began to droop. Her heart rate monitor began to slow. I began shaking my head; I knew why she was telling me this. I did not want to believe it. "Call Duke... I bet he misses you..."

Mum's eyes finally close.

Her grip on my hand loosened.

The loud drone of the heart monitor filled my ears.

She was gone.

I fell to my knees and rested my head on her hand. Sobs racked my body as I cried. I did not let go of mum's hand. She could not die on me. I lifted my head.

"Mum!" I called loudly through my sobs. "Mum!" She did not respond.

Everything began happening in slow motion. I was lifted to my feet and shoved out of the way as nurses and doctors surrounded mum's bed, trying to revive her. I tried desperately to keep a hold of mum's hand, but to no avail. They were shouting things to each other, fussing over mum. They put a face mask on her as a defibrillator was wheeled up to the bed. They began shocking her. I just stood there in shock, still heaving sobs, transfixed at the sight before me. My hands were shaking.

A familiar, comforting voice said my name behind me, but I did not acknowledge the person from which whom the voice came. Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I jumped about a foot in the air. I spun around in fright, read to swear at them, but I was met with someone's chest. I looked up into Kaden's dark brown eyes, which were slightly teary. He mouthed 'come here', and I obliged. I dove into his chest and sobbed loudly. He wrapped his arms around me protectively and tightened his hold.

Through my sobs, I could hear someone say, "I'll call it."

*End Flashback*

"Lucky Kaden was there... I think I would have gone insane when they pronounced her-" I broke off and took a deep, shaky breath. I had always tried so hard to not think about that day; I could never control my emotions. "But the doctors didn't think she would survive... they didn't even think she'd make it through the night. The steering wheel had crushed nearly all her ribs and punctured her right lung... there was internal bleeding everywhere, they said... Next morning she was even worse... that was when I saw her..."

Donna looked at me sympathetically. "So right after that, you came to Japan?"

I shook my head. "After the funeral, spent the next three months at Kaden's. He took me in 'cause he knew I wouldn't last, living at home by myself. He kept me busy so I wouldn't think about it. I had told him about what mum had told me to do. Kaden said to come over here and see Duke, so I did. I told Kaden to do whatever he wanted with the house and we put everything else in storage. Mum had been putting money away for me, so I used that to get here..."

"So, has everything been okay since you arrived?"

I sat there and thought about it for a moment. Everything had not been okay since I arrived in Domino. I had been through an emotional rollercoaster. I told her everything. Everything from getting the job at Kaiba Corp. to breaking up with Joey. I even mentioned what had happened on Pegasus' Island. By the end of it all, I was sobbing like a little girl.

"You've been through a lot this year..." Donna murmured as she observed me. She flicked through her papers and stopped at the start. "You were raped when you were 12?"

My head shot up so fast, I was pretty sure I gave myself whiplash. I began to panic. I did not want to talk about that. How did she know about it? I wondered if this was the hospital I had been admitted to all those years ago, and if it was, why did they give those details to her?

"I can't imagine what all that had done to you... but you do seem stable. You don't have any morbid thoughts, hallucinations?"

She was not going to press the subject. _Thank God._ I shook my head. _Please, let me go, please, let me go._

"I'm going to suggest you go on some form of anti-depressant, just to be on the safe side. Also, I think it would be wise of you to see about getting counselling; I can tell everything you have been through still bothers you quite a bit. But, other than that, I think you're sane enough to be release from this ward," Donna finished up, smiling at me.


End file.
